We'll Work This Out
by LizMayCry
Summary: PostDmC - Dante and Kat have started a new life together, but that is all forced to change after Kat makes a shocking discovery that will turn their lives upside down for a second time. The young couple will have to adjust to a completely unfamiliar life style, no doubt Dante will learn a thing or two about being more... human. WARNING: suggested non-con
1. Why couldn't it just be food poisoning?

Dante was starting to worry about Kat. It had been 4 weeks since they defeated Mundus and settled into an apartment together. In that time he had noticed that every night, like clockwork, she would wake up at 5am to be violently sick in the bathroom. She would never admit to there being anything wrong and come straight back to bed like it was nothing, sleeping off the rest of her obvious discomfort.

One particularly bad morning started with Dante being woken up by the horrid sound of heaving at 4:54am. He kicked off the duvet and approached the bathroom in just his boxers. He winced as he saw her frail body hunched over the sink, one arm cradling her stomach to sooth the crippling pain.

"Kat...? You okay..?" The young nephilim approached her quietly from behind and began to softly rub her back to comfort her, feeling her tremble weakly under his palm. She panted shakily with her head ducked in the sink. She wiped her mouth, being embarrassed by Dante's presence in the situation.

"I-I'm fine, go back to sleep..." She struggled to get the words out without heaving. The dark haired man frowned and stroked her hair before returning to the cluttered, cramped bedroom. He kept his ears focussed on the bathroom in case she got any worse, but the worst seemed to be over for now. He had to be careful with her because she was very good at hiding her pain, something Vergil got her into the habit of doing.

He settled himself into bed again when he heard her cleaning up after herself and brushing her teeth. He pulled the duvet over his shoulders and rolled onto his side to await her return into his arms. They didn't consider themselves as an official couple, but they were pretty comfortable around each other. She wandered back into the bedroom slowly, laying on the opposite side of Dante and keeping her distance as she coiled into a little ball in discomfort to try and get back to sleep. The hybrid looked over his shoulder to make sure she was alright before drifting back into sleep for a couple more hours. Kat however lied awake, staring at the wall with a fog of panic and doubt in her mind. She had a gut feeling she knew what this was, but it couldn't be...

Later on that morning, Dante slumped down at the kitchen table with a bottle of milk to start cleaning his guns. In the corner of his eye he caught sight of Kat at the counter which was cluttered with countless bizarre ingredients and one of her many Wiccan recipe books. He rose from his seat and pressed his chest against her back, holding her hips loosely as he peered over her shoulder. He was easily a foot taller than her.

"Whatcha cookin' there?" His ethereal blue eyes scanned the counter, covered in animal body parts, herbs, spices and natural oils. Not his idea of a great breakfast.

"A cure for the sickness I've been having... I've never prepared it before..." She sounded tired and groggy as she focussed on the recipe, dropping lavender oil and lemongrass into the concoction in front of her in a pint glass. She wasn't honestly going to drink this crap was she?

A look of concern furrowed Dante's brow as he read the title at the top of the page she was reading from, 'Morning sickness remedy'. "Hey, isn't that what pregnant ladies get?" He chuckled lightly, regurgitating one of the many random facts he'd picked up from watching way too much day time TV.

"...Yes." The contrast between his light comment and her answer was startling for Dante, even more so with the silence that followed.

"W-wait." Dante's eyes widened and searched for her face which she kept hidden under her hood. "You don't think you're...? Do you...?" A pit opened up in his stomach. How could she have been? He hadn't touched her, and she killed her abusive foster father years ago.

"I don't know." She snapped sharply with a half-worried tone. "I'm going to do a test this morning, but I don't see how I could possibly be..." She shook her head as she welled up, she was so worried at what the cause could possibly be.

She raised the now ready mixture to her lips, cringing slightly at the potent smell. She parted her pink lips and forced herself to down the contents of the glass, making Dante's stomach knot a little as he held his nose. She clamped her eyes shut as she grimaced, placing the glass back down on the table as she reluctantly swallowed, coughing and spluttering a little. "Yuck." She doubted she'd ever be able to get the bitter, earthy taste out of her mouth. She let the mixture settle in her stomach before grabbing a plastic bag with a pregnancy test in it. After letting out a nervous huff, she made her way over to the bathroom in the small apartment to test herself.

By then Dante went pale, it was one of the biggest shocks he'd had in a while. He didn't like the possibility of dealing with a little brat one bit, especially as he was just earning enough from demon hunting to keep them both going as it was. Despite his inner objections he waited behind the closed door to the bathroom.

After a couple of minutes she unlocked the door to let him in, being a sickly, tell-tale shade of white as Dante looked up at her. She avoided eye contact the entire time as she sat herself back on the toilet to think it over. Dante sat on the edge of the bath and huffed shakily, "...Kat?" He already knew what the answer was, and it didn't look like either of them were thrilled to become parents.

"D-Dante I feel sick..." She whimpered. "I feel sick..." She repeated herself as distressed tears began to fall from her eyes over her pale cheeks, her heart beat echoing through Dante's sensitive ear drums. He placed a hand softly on her knee and stroked her soft skin with his thumb to try and comfort her. "We'll figure this out, don't worry..." He had to tell her something, anything to keep her calm.

She dropped the plastic stick as her hands began to shake uncontrollably. She shook her head and gasped as the tears began to flood from her eyes, her beginning to sob. "I-I know what happened..." She cried hysterically, resembling a caged animal. The revelation hit her like a lead brick. Dante froze and pressed his digits harder into her soft flesh, "W-what..?" He swallowed the lump in his throat.

"He always talked about it..." Her voice quivered, "Who would take his place when he was gone..." Her trembling had now progressed into fierce tremors so Dante gripped her firmly, as if to keep her from falling apart. "I-I remember now... I couldn't sleep one night because of the nightmares and..." She swallowed hard and sniffed. "He gave me a pill to help me sleep and..." She tried her hardest not to scream. Dante had never seen her this scared. He felt his blood ignite inside him, "Vergil you bastard..." A growl escaped the hybrid's gritted teeth. His brother had been using Kat the entire time, he couldn't believe how cruel he was.

Dante shrugged off his anger as much as he could for now to focus on Kat. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to bed as she was paralyzed in fear. The small, brown haired woman wasn't far from total exhaustion as she was laid down on the mattress, periodically twitching as Dante settled her with kisses, softly planted over her shoulders, working down the length of her arms to her knuckles. He never acted this way with anyone else, Kat was special to him and he would do anything to protect her.

Once her breathing steadied and her body relaxed, Dante readjusted to lay beside her again. "We'll be okay... I promise..." His voice was softer than ever, barely audible. Her glassy eyes opened half way and stared sleepily at him, drawing in a few deep breaths. She almost hated herself, knowing she would have to live with it, she could never kill a child, and neither could she risk it going through the same past as she did...

The devil hunter pulled her body flush against his own, her tensing slightly as she had never been willingly this close to anyone before. However she did not protest any further, breathing out and relaxing in his careful grip. He processed every single movement strategically around her, he was still figuring out how to behave, he'd never been with a girl platonically, let alone a pregnant one. Especially Kat, his so called 'broken flower' as dubbed by Lilith.

As the frail human lay asleep in his arms, he kneeded her abdomen gently with his palm. There was a faint paternal curiosity within him that must have come from his angelic heritage. He caressed her stomach delicately to feel around for any sort of lump within her. Dante didn't know the first thing about pregnancy, it was always the last thing on his mind as a young, unfettered bachelor. All his searching was in vain, as she must have still been very early into the pregnancy. A pit opened up in his gut at the thought of Vergil smugly knowing of her pregnancy before either of them even had a clue.

He shook the haze of negative thoughts from his head as if they were a bad dream. He nestled his face into the subtle groove of her back, kissing it softly and resting his eyes. The rest of the night was surprisingly peaceful as the young 'couple' lay blissfully in their dreams, their limbs weaved together and making them inseparable.

Sunlight pierced the window blinds as morning came. Dante winced at the sting in his eyes, every morning he regretted the positioning of his bed, as that was the only reason he got up so early. A sleepy grunt escaped his throat as he forced his heavy eyes open.

The young stud gazed forward at the young woman asleep in his embrace, thinking long and hard about his feelings towards her. He was never good with naming what he felt. It was usually just anger, he wasn't used to this warm, welcoming feeling. A blush spread across the man's face as he thought about that abstract word, love.

He protected Kat like no one else. He constantly daydreamed in admiration of her loyalty and self sacrifice. She held out under relentless torture for so little in return, too used to settling for just tolerating the pain thrown at her. That would all change now, he would make sure she never had to deal with abuse and exploitation ever again. He planted a nervous kiss on her hairline, concentrating on the angelic way the sunlight illuminated her soft features.

Kat began to stir as his warm lips retracted from her forehead, shuffling slightly to get comfortable with her cheek pressed against Dante's bare chest. She loved how his strong, drum-like heart beat contrasted to the quiet flutter of her own. Dante blushed and ran a hand through her hair, not being able to stop a wide smile spreading across his face.

Her eyelashes tickled his skin as she opened her eyes. She angled her head upwards to see Dante's face, feeling the same contagious blush invade her cheeks as she noticed his sweet smile. She brought up her intricately patterned hand, lovingly stroking his cheek as she smiled back. She loved his face, those otherworldly eyes, his mouth, his smile.

Kat could tell how he changed just by the lines and imperfections on his face. The dominant frown lines on his forehead were now softened by the freshly creased laughter lines framing his mouth. It warmed her heart to know he could smile again.

They both stared into each others' eyes before surrendering to the gravity of each others' lips. Dante dragged her closer so her stomach touched his own, closing his eyes and locking their lips together in a kiss. He cupped her cheek as a fire erupted inside him, making his ears burn a dark shade of red that matched the blush on Kat's cheeks. Kat could now be certain that she had one secure thing in her life, and that was Dante.


	2. One Step at a Time

Dante and Kat sat at the kitchen table in the early afternoon to organise a plan of action for this new kid. For once in his life the young Nephilim listened quietly and wrote down the list his partner dictated to him, groaning slightly when he realised just how much this was all going to cost. Thanks Vergil.

"T-that's it right...?" Dante hoped, looking up to her as she sat thinking. She looked up from the table and giggled slightly, "You must be joking, that's only while it's a newborn." Dante's forehead hit the table.

"Oh come on, we'll never be able to afford this..!" Dante groaned in frustration, Kat stroking his hair a bit before he sat upright again. "That's why I'm finding a job." There goes Dante's ego.

"You can't work, you're pregnant!" Kat shook her head in protest, "You said it yourself, we'll never be able to afford it on just your hunting." Dante let out another displeased grumble, feeling really guilty for not bringing in any more like a man was supposed to, he was trying as hard as he could.

"O-only if you're sure..." Dante gave her an apprehensive look and put his gloved hand over hers. She blushed and looked down at their hands before shifting in her seat, "It's my fault anyway. I don't want to become a burden." She let out a small huff and ducked her head. Once again she was a nuisance, just like with her family, with her foster family, with Vergil...

Dante snapped her bluntly out of those thoughts with a kiss on the cheek before pulling her tight against him. "You're not a burden. You never were and never will be." He was so protective of her now, very different to how they were when they first met.

"I'm gonna go back to headquarters and see if there's anything salvageable I can sell on." Kat nodded and sighed a little, sounding relieved. With any luck some of Vergil's expensive equipment was still intact. He had it easy, he was adopted into a rich foster family and ended up being the sole inheritor to their wealth when they passed in a car accident when he was 18.

Dante shrugged his coat on and grabbed his guns from the table, taking a short cut off the balcony of their apartment. Kat watched him until he was lost in the concrete jungle, quietly tidying their seemingly endless amount of clutter and waste before settling on the sofa to look for jobs in the newspaper.

As she spent her time circling possible job choices, Dante forced his way into the wreckage of the secret headquarters of The Order. He found himself a clear room to pile any sellable goods into and began gathering items of technology or anything that looked remotely pricey. After scouring the research facilities and offices, he made his way into his brothers Head Office in the Pentagon. Kicking in the door, he made his entrance. The room was dark but surprisingly untouched. He tucked two laptops under his arm and looked around for anything else of value.

Catching his eye was a large steel cube tucked beneath Vergil's desk next to the computer tower. A safe, perfect. "Thanks, Verg'." Dante smirked and unsheathed Revenant, aiming a careful shot at the lock before firing, flinging the door straight open.

Inside the small vault was a handful of bank and credit cards as well as a piece of paper, scribed with printed text.

"_Kat._

_I know you must have a lot of questions. I apologise deeply for my absence as well as my actions, but I can assure you they are necessary for the protection of your race. By the time you are reading this I assume you have by now recognised you have conceived a child. I take full responsibility for this, as I artificially inseminated you as you slept on the 1st of September with a sample from myself. _

_Please find attached to this letter, several credit and bank cards. There is enough money in my accounts to cover the costs of this child and will allow you to live comfortably. There is also a small two bedroom house waiting for you in a quiet area of the city. The keys, address and account number are attached below. _

_Be safe, and thank you. _

_- Vergil"_

Dante sighed quietly to himself and folded the letter again, picking up and pocketing the cards and keys. Looked like Vergil planned this carefully, he must have known all along what was going to happen. He should have known he was clever like that. Just like his father.

The Nephilim gathered what he could before leaving, climbing through a window to get back into him and Kat's apartment. You'd think it would be easier to just use the elevator. He looked around to see it cleaner than he'd ever seen it, with Kat asleep comfortably on the tattered sofa with the TV on at a low volume. He grinned and shook his head with a quiet chuckle, placing everything down on the clear coffee table and sitting on the free seat on the sofa beside Kat, how she could relax all curled up like that, Dante would never know. He slouched back into the worn leather behind him stroking Kat's bare legs that were soft to the touch. He turned off the television to focus on the slight sound of her breathing. He smiled softly and glanced over at the coffee table to stare at the letter, unsure whether he wanted her to read it or not.

His trance was broken as she sat herself up and yawned. "O-Oh you're back already.." She rubbed her eyes, it was rare he saw her without her heavy eye makeup on.

"Uhh yeah." He started and sat closer to her, pulling up the piece of paper from the table and fiddling with it in his hands. "Did you find anything?"

"Yeah, actually." He cleared his throat and inhaled as Kat caught on that something didn't sit right inside him. "Why, what's wrong?" She tilted her head inquisitively.

"I found a safe in Vergil's office... It had a letter addressed to you in it." He reluctantly handed the sheet of paper to her as she held her breath and unfolded it. Scanning the page thoroughly, she studied the text in front of her, trying to ignore the increasing pace of her heartbeat and the slight tremble in her arms. "S-so he knew all that time... He had this all planned..." She looked gutted.

She read all the way to the end and sighed in slight relief that he had at least covered the financial side and somewhere stable for them to live. That was a big weight off their chests at least. "Do you wanna go check it out...?" Kat swallowed the lump in her throat and looked up at Dante, who nodded in reply, being very quiet as he didn't know how to react to more complex human emotions.

Dante licked the dusty, grubby suction cup and stuck the GPS to the windshield as he sat in the passenger seat, punching in the address on the barely functional touch screen. Kat cringed at his careless and unsanitary habits, especially knowing she kissed that mouth. She calmly and slowly drove the small black car to their destination. A quiet, detached two bedroom house stood alone behind an iron gate, just waiting for them. She parked up on the cobblestone driveway and approached the door with Dante, who unlocked the front door and peered inside.

His eyes widened as he saw it, pristine. Sure, a few cobwebs here and there but it put their little apartment to shame. He swung open the heavy oak door to allow them both access. The pair couldn't help but tiptoe inside, remaining very quiet as they looked at the well furnished, perfect little house.

"All of this... for us..?" Kat blinked as her eyes wandered around every wall and surface, it was like a dream. Both of them knew what it was like to be living in the gutter of the city, they couldn't believe they were going to be living here.

They both finished inspecting the living room and kitchen, heading upstairs to check out the bedrooms that were already kitted out with plenty of expensive furniture. Dante broke the silent and astonished atmosphere and returned to his normal self when he caught sight of the king sized bed in the master bedroom. He laughed to himself and jumped straight on, pulling Kat down with him. "I could get used to this!" His voice echoed through the quiet house. Kat remained slightly more quiet and humble in her reaction, smiling sheepishly and laying wrapped in his arm. She wasn't used to this, any of this. At least this was a pleasant surprise for once.

"Yeah, I guess I could too..." She smiled and stared up at the pearly white ceiling. She put a hand on her flat stomach and stroked it delicately. Her partner looked down and noticed her idly fussing her abdomen, which he knew by now was a sign of her feeling worried. He placed one large, hardened hand over her doll like one. "I know it's a lot to take in... One step at a time okay...?" He stared straight into her eyes as she stared back. She nodded again and flashed a small smile at him before placing her other hand on top of his.

"One step at a time..." She echoed his words.


	3. Hand in Hand

**Authors note: **_Sorry this chapter is a little long winded, hope you enjoy it nonetheless! Much fluff is to follow yet! Don't forget to review and let me know what you think! _

Time passed by far faster than either of the couple anticipated. Kat was now into her second trimester, five months pregnant and beginning to show. They had settled nicely into their quiet home and began to organise and decorate in preparation for their new child. Dante had slowly come more to terms with recent events, stepping up to fill his brothers shoes as the father of he and Kat's offspring. His younger partner had noticed him maturing the whole way along. The partying, the booze and the girls had all stopped now.

Though he was the sane charismatic, silver tongued trickster, he now knew how to be an adult when necessary.

Kat lounged casually and comfortably on the sofa watching endless amounts of parenting documentaries, eager to learn how to mother a child 'the right way' as she never had a mother to learn from.

A prominent bump had now formed above the waistband of her loosely fitting pajama bottoms, something neither of them thought they would be fond of. Dante walked across the living room with two mugs in his hands; a green tea for her and a black coffee for himself. Her head turned to peek her feline eyes over the arm of the leather sofa when she heard the brushing of his bare feet along the carpet. He handed her the hot beverage and sat beside her tiny, bare feet on the sofa. The black haired swain held the hot fluid to his lips and winced when he had underestimated how hot the coffee was. He wiped the over spill of liquid from his mouth and dried his fingers on his tattered denim jeans. Kat rolled her eyes and felt a smirk brighten her face as she knew he would always be the same slob as when she first met him, no matter how hard he tried.

"Morning, you ordered that crib yet, princess?" Dante rubbed his face to wake himself up, it was much harder to do so when the bed you were getting out of was so comfortable. Kat cringed jokingly at the sugarcoated pet name, wasn't usually his style at all.

"Was waiting for you to get up so we could choose one together." Dante blushed in response. He never would have thought she would be so happy to accept him as the father of her child.

"U-uh, sure." He smiled sweetly, expressing tenderness which was incredibly rare for him. He leaned down and stroked her exposed stomach, pressing his warm lips against her cool, taut skin which made her giggle quietly. "How's Bump anyway?" The two of them decided on that nickname when she first started showing as she wasn't always keen on being reminded that she was going to have a baby in a matter of months. She smiled and brushed her fingers against the soft flesh.

"Bump's fine, we got a little uncomfortable this morning though." She looked down at her abdominal mound, "I think she's going to start kicking soon." She placed his large hand back on her bump as she looked up to his grin, he was surprisingly excited for all this.

"Make sure you call me as soon as you feel it, I wanna be there." His voice softened with his gaze. Kat could feel herself melting inside at his words, he truly, honestly wanted to be there for her, and her unborn child. They really were starting to look like a real family, for once in both of their lives.

"A-anyway, this crib...!" He chuckled to mask his blush as he dragged the silver laptop onto his lap. Kat giggled at his attempt to disguise how serious he was about all of this, carefully sitting up beside him and being careful of her abdomen as she did. The two of them looked through countless websites and online catalogs for one they both liked. Kat's real challenge here was trying to get the rugged demon hunter to admit his interest in baby accessories. Soon enough after a few disagreements in tastes they settled on a moderately priced white rocking cot that could be modified as the baby developed. Dante was just glad it wasn't frilly and he didn't have to pay for the damn thing.

The couple spent a further hour or so ordering other essential items in preparation for the baby's arrival before giving it a break to get on with their day.

Kat cuddled Dante's toned arm softly before walking to the bedroom to get changed from her bed clothes. Dante seemed too engrossed on writing down a list of what they had ordered to notice her leaving. He closed the lid of the laptop and put it back on the dark wood coffee table before following her into the bedroom to retrieve his coat and wallet so he could get some shopping done, stopping short in the doorway as his eyes widened, the sight before him overthrowing him. He stood silently with his mouth agape as his eyes looked upon the nude figure that was his partner, Kat. He had never seen her naked before, and now he wondered where the sight had been his whole life. Her silhouette was formed of subtle curves which displayed themselves so gracefully in the sunlight as she lifted her nightshirt above her head. Dante ran his eyes over her almost perfect skin, which was only faulted by the brutal scar on her left shoulder blade, a grim reminder of the beginning of Vergil's downfall.

Although past the half way mark of her pregnancy, her figure remained as slender as when he first laid eyes on her, only altered by the outline of her stomach and enlarged breasts that emphasized the curves of her figure from behind. The Nephilim felt something ignite inside himself, unable to keep himself from approaching her from behind, lightly pressing himself against her and wrapping his strong arms around her delicate body. He stroked her belly and held it dearly as she let out a small gasp in surprise, soon warming to his touch and letting her guard down again. She tilted her head back onto his shoulder as he looked down at her with a loving smile, planting a soft kiss on her full lips. As they prolonged their act of affection, a small movement pushed against the palm of Dante's hand and both of their eyes snapped open again. They looked down in disbelief before back up at each other before they laughed joyously. Dante rushed round to kneel in front of her, feeling around for the baby's movement excitedly and kissing her tummy, bewildered with what he just experienced. Both of them swelled with pride at the first real interaction with their child.

"K-Kat you're gonna be a mom..!" Dante could barely contain himself, looking up into her beaming green eyes as she smiled proudly, a rosy blush covering her face and neck. She ran her fingers through his hair and held his head close to her hips as he tried to keep himself together as the rush of emotions he'd never felt before took hold of him.

"I-I'm gonna be a dad..." Kat welled up as she felt a hot tear roll from his cheek onto her thumb. She nodded and sobbed happily, wiping her eyes as he stood back up to cuddle her tight.

"We're having a baby, Dante." She said proudly as it hit her, she no longer felt afraid when she was in his arms. Finally they could accept the inevitable, and happily too. This was an adventure that they would experience together, hand in hand.


	4. We're Ready

Dante and Kat spent an entire week furnishing and baby-proofing the house. The couple bickered like children over any little thing such as the arrangement or colour of the baby's room. Dante opted for a light blue with more space than practicality whereas Kat wanted something a bit more neutral and convenient. There was no doubt she was easily making herself known thanks to her mood swings. Dante sometimes had to repeat over and over in his head that it was just the pregnancy talking, grinning and baring through all the out-of-character screaming and crying Kat seemed to be doing lately. Poor girl was just uncomfortable as she was so heavy now, the baby looking to be much bigger than they expected too.

The young Nephilim leaned his head back tiredly and groaned tiredly after having dragged around the furniture for a third time, already sore from a muscular injury he attained the night before when out on a mission to earn some extra cash for whatever reason Kat didn't know about. He finished rearranging the room and stepped back so she could inspect it from her rocking chair. She scanned the room with her glassy eyes and smiled at him, giving him the nod of approval. Dante sighed in relief and sprawled out on the soft carpet in celebration of her final satisfaction.

He rolled over onto his flat stomach on the magnolia carpet, resting his chin on his hands as he watched her resume with her knitting, being close to finishing the seven billionth baby jumper she'd produced since she first took up the hobby six months into her pregnancy. "Geez, this kid is gonna have more clothes than we ever had in our whole lives!" Dante chuckled almost in disbelief at the pile of clothes that was stacked and folded neatly beside her lightly varnished wooden chair. She'd knit about 6 items of clothes a day since she had nothing better to do most of the time.

"Oh you have no idea." She smirked and glanced over at him, focusing her eyes back on the blue wool she weaved between her decoratively tattoo'd fingers. Her lover didn't mind her hobby as long as it kept her mind busy. At eight months in she had began to feel a lot more discomfort both physically and mentally. Dante sometimes had to pry her hands from her own stomach as she scratched at it absentmindedly, sometimes even drawing blood from her own flesh. For her to find something calming to do was a God send for both of them so it kept her hands and brain busy.

"Not long now, huh?" Dante grinned as she smiled back, rounding off her knitting and putting the newly finished sweater on her pile of finished baby clothes. She ran her hand through her hair which had grown out substantially by now. She nodded and huffed softly. "Y-yeah... Could you help me with something?" She looked down at him on the floor as he sat himself up again.

"Sure, whatcha need?" She stood up carefully and held her bump, exhaling in discomfort as she held her tummy and walked slowly to the bathroom. She collected a pair of scissors and a handheld mirror which she gave to him. He swallowed a little nervously, not really sure if he wanted to trust her with sharp objects. She noticed his worried expression and giggled sweetly, "Don't worry, I'm just cutting my hair."

Cutting and styling her own hair was an art she had practiced since she was about thirteen years old. Dante willingly took the mirror and sat behind her on the edge of the bath tub as she sat between his legs on a foot stool, staring into the full length mirror mounted on the wall. Dante positioned the mirror so she could view the back of her own head as she skillfully trimmed and cropped her dark hair back to the way it used to be. After an arm aching period of playing hairdressers she flicked the loose hair from her clothes and neck. "Much better, your turn now!" She chirped.

He laughed a little and glanced at himself in the mirror. His rebelliously cropped Mohawk had now faded into a choppy, scruffy mess of thick, black hair. He rolled his eyes and smirked from ear to ear, dreading what she was going to do to him once she got her hands on his head. She grinned and shoved him down onto the stool, driving him with his shoulders a bit. He huffed loudly and chuckled as he heard the buzz of the electric shaver. She pushed his head forward to expose his neck, working the teeth of the razor through his thick hair, recreating his original style with surprising ease and accuracy.

Once she flicked the razor off and trimmed the rest with the scissors he grinned at himself in the mirror vainly. He cheekily grinned like a devilish cat, nodding and scuffling his neatened hair in his hands. "I'm impressed! Maybe I'll leave a tip next time." He teased as she slapped the side of his head playfully. "Careful or I'll shave the rest off!" She brushed the dark hair off his shoulders and put the equipment away, rambling about how you should never pay for something you could learn to do yourself. He always admired how thrifty she was, amazed by how she survived with never a penny to her name.

She tidied up and let Dante sweep up the hair for her since she could no longer bend down with her large belly in the way. After a quick clean up they both settled in the soft double bed since Kat was trying to keep as well rested and off her feet as possible in preparation for her scan in just a couple of hours. She had put off all her other organised scans so far as she had been too nervous to turn up, they at least had to start going now to make sure there were no complications with the baby. The couple interlinked their fingers and squeezed each others hands, both must have been thinking the same thing.

"Its gonna be okay, you know that right?" The Son of Sparda tried his best to reassure her as much as he could, knowing by now just how nervous she was for this, especially with the due date approaching so rapidly. She nodded silently and stared at the mound beneath the duvet on her stomach. "I guess.. there's no going back now." She smiled faintly and rolled onto her side to get comfortable as Dante pulled himself close to her from behind, both their bodies bare beneath the cotton sheets. He kissed her shoulder blade softly and stroked her tummy, "Come on, get some sleep and we'll go down there after..."

Two hours passed and the pair of them began to drive to St. Agreas's Hospital for their appointment. Kat sat behind the wheel, silently driving as Dante daydreamed in the passenger seat with his feet on the dashboard as always. He didn't know what to expect when she inevitably went into labor, he couldn't expect her to drive herself there, and he had never formally learned how to drive. It was rare for him to think of such scenarios but with the deadline fast approaching, he had to open his mind about every possibility, he just wanted her to be safe.

Dante held her hand as they approached the building. Both their hearts began to race as they were hit with the sterile smell of the hospital lobby. They were pointed towards a maternity ward where they could sit and wait in the halls for her name to be called. She sat in the cold metal chair in the chilly hallway and winced as the baby started to fidget inside her. She drew in a sharp breath with a hissing sound and a wince, to which Dante snapped his head to her direction to make sure she was alright. He held her hand and used his other to stroke her moving stomach. "I know baby... I know..." He spoke softly to the child in his partners womb as it settled, the mother taking comfort from the soft words as well. At first Dante thought it was stupid talking to something he couldn't see inside someone's stomach, but it became a habit he couldn't shift - of which Kat found adorable.

"Katherine Blackmore?" A middle aged woman in a blue uniform leaned out of the doorway once she was ready. Dante helped Kat up and helped her to walk as the midwife escorted them in, letting Kat lay on the table as Dante pulled up a chair to sit beside his companion. "So nice to finally meet you, it's unusual for a couple to leave scans until this far. They both smiled nervously to each other and then to her. There was a short silence as the woman put on her spectacles and flicked through her notes. "Only four weeks to go I see? You must be terribly excited." She smiled as Kat tensed nervously. Dante put a hand over hers to calm her before she got too uncomfortable.

"Nervous, actually. I-Its our first." Dante spoke for her, to which the midwife nodded and chuckled in her aged voice.

"That's perfectly natural." She chuckled and put on some clean latex gloves. "Now Miss Blackmore you'll just feel a bit of cold gel on your stomach." Kat gingerly nodded and lifted her top to expose her bump. The older woman squeezed a generous amount of blue gel over it and pushed the ultrasound camera to her skin. Their attention turned to the barely coherent image on the computer screen, their ears filled with an echoing sound of the baby's heart beat.

"My, my! And you say this is your first?" She smiled at Kat, surprised with how healthy, strong and large the infant was. "A perfect baby from what I can see. Would you like to know the sex?" Dante cut off her question with a shake of the head, "A surprise." Kat quietly nodded and stared at the blurry image on the screen, gripping the folds in her shirt. Dante thought it was best if it remained as just 'Bump' than their little boy or girl until completely necessary.

"As you wish." She chirped musically and wiped the residue from Kat's stomach, letting her pull her top down. "I must say, Katherine you're doing a fantastic job, I've never seen such a textbook pregnancy in my entire career! Have you had much guidance along the way?" She pushed her glasses back up her large nose. Kat smiled softly and relaxed her shoulders, "Just books. Lots of books." Dante smirked at how true her comment was, who knew he would fall for a book worm?

The midwife chuckled and let her sit up, printing off a scan for them to take home which Kat clutched preciously against her chest with a subtle, proud smile. Dante put an arm around her and grinned as she saw them off, booking another appointment before their due date. They walked down the brightly lit hallways as Dante kissed her head, "See? Not so scary was it? You even got a free belly massage out of it~" He winked at her as she giggled at him and pushed his face away playfully, she looked to be in a much better mood now she pushed the boat out a little.

Once they kicked off their shoes in the hallway back at home, Kat sat on the sofa almost in disbelief at the photo of her child. Dante sat proudly beside her and cuddled her close, staring down at the print in her hands. "Four weeks... that's it..." He smiled and rubbed her arm. She placed the photo on the table and covered her face with her hands, quietly shedding a few tears from shock. The sight and sound of her crying sank his heart, but to his surprise she looked up at him with a smile, laughing through the soft sobs. He felt a grin crawl upon his own face as he wiped her eyes, smudging her makeup with the tears.

"I-I think I'm ready.." She squeaked and wiped her own eyes before cuddling his neck tight. Dante stroked her hair and bubbled with pride under his skin, letting it sink in that he was truly going to be a dad and start a family, even if the child wasn't biologically his.

"If you're ready, I'm ready."


	5. The Waiting Game

With only one week until the much anticipated due date Kat was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. She laid her head back against the edge of the bathtub as she heard the door creak open. She glanced briefly around the shower curtain, Dante had collected a clean towel and a change of clothes for her. The young hunter was unphased by the sight of her nude body by now, his eyelids didn't even flicker as he glanced down to hand her the towel. She had been crying.

"Kat?" The young mother-to-be shied away from him to hide her puffy, tell tale eyes. Dante wasn't so easily fooled. With one hand, he cupped one side of her face and softly coaxed her to look in his direction as he crouched beside the bath tub.  
>"Just hurts..." She muttered nervously as she took the towel from her partner's hand, standing up carefully. With one hand, Dante helped her lift her weight as his other palm pressed against the taut skin of her stomach.<br>"What hurts?" The dark haired nephilim furrowed his brow.  
>She whimpered in pain, clutching her own stomach with her tattooed hands. There was a strong, rhythmic tensing to be felt just under her skin. Dante's eyes flickered from her stomach to her face as he forgot to breathe, going pale as his lips separated to speak before he could find the words.<p>

"Are those...?" Dante spoke sheepishly as his mouth went dry as his heartbeat became noticable in his chest. Before Kat could even answer, a sharp hiss escaped her as she arched her back in pain.

"I-I don't know.." Her eyes clamped shut as she winced. Dante searched the room in a mild panic for his phone, grabbing it from the windowsill and wrapping an arm around her shoulder to comfort her as he put the device to his ear, calling for an ambulance. The inexperienced first time father briefly explained the situation to the midwife who took over the conversation quite hastily.

"That definitely sounds like labor, bring her down as soon as you can, and try to keep her comfortable." The elderly woman cheerfully answered, but Dante was less impressed.

"What? No ambulance?" The nephilim barked as Kat's discomfort became worse with each contraction. "No sir, you'll just have to drive her yourself." After hanging up with a couple of curses, Dante knelt down in front of the obviously distressed by now.

"Kat, you're gonna be okay. We're gonna get you in the car okay...?" Kat was in too much pain to disagree so with a whimper she simply nodded. Dante stood her up and supported her as they walked out to the black Audi. They both stopped just short of the vehicle as a gush of water hit the floor from between Kat's feet. An already nervous Dante jolted at the sound of the impact on the gravel and Kat clutching his arm, whimpering his name. The couple looked down to see that her waters had indeed broken, but that wasn't the worrying part. There was a worrying amount of blood that filled the small pool beneath her.

"S-shit...!" The halfbreed's heart raced as he got her into the back of the car as quickly as he could, taking the wheel and praying to every god he could think of for their safety as he sped out of the iron gate, tearing up the streets as he headed for the hospital. Kat's agonizing cries spurred him forward as he weaved through traffic and ran countless red lights. "You're gonna be okay. I promise. I promise..." He repeated those words over and over again, more to reassure himself than anyone else. So focused on getting his distressed partner to hospital, he completely blanked the wails of police sirens behind him.

After an intense ten minute drive, they reached the hospital. Dante parked up carelessly and helped Kat out with care as police cars surrounded them in the car park. All the officers left their vehicles to question the already notorious half demon as he covered Kat's nude body with his over sized jacket, since the towel she came out in barely covered her. "Excuse me si-" One of the heavier officers was blanked as the preoccupied young man scooped his female companion into his arms and headed towards the front entrance of the building.

"I don't have time for this." Dante snapped in reply. Kat's breathing was unsteady and labored as she clutched her stomach and tried to pull the jacket to cover herself in his arms, it was fairly obvious what was wrong with her. The uniformed officers looked around at each other, surprised and mildly confused as this was barely the first time they had chased Dante down, but _never _had they seen him doing something so selfless. They quickly backed off and gave him benefit of the doubt, getting into their assigned vehicles and promptly leaving to give them some peace as he took her into the reception area of the hospital.

Dante kicked the revolving door to force it to open faster, carrying Kat straight to the reception desk. "She's having a baby, she needs attention now." Dante had never been a patient man, but today he was given a reason for that. Intimidated by his piercing stare, the formally dressed receptionist swiftly got her booked in and a midwife contacted before calling a colleague to escort the couple to the correct ward. "S-something ain't right, water came out and there was blood and..." He tripped over his own words as the nurse wheeled Kat in a wheelchair to an empty room, this was easily the most scared he'd ever felt.

Once the door was shut, Dante and the nurse lifted Kat onto the bed for examination. Dante sat by her shoulder on the edge of the mattress and stroked her hair to comfort her as the nurse and a midwife prepared for her. The raven haired mother-to-be tensed up slightly and clenched a fist as she felt two cold, gloved fingers press against her sore, intimate entrance. She was never comfortable with anyone there, not even Dante. Not after what her foster father did to her. Dante knew this well by now and hushed her softly as he placed his warm hand over her cold, clenched fist.

"Its alright sweetheart, I just need to see what's going on down here, is that okay?" The older midwife spoke in a motherly tone to try and relax Kat as much as possible. Kat panted and nervously nodded down to the woman by her feet, the pain gradually becoming unbearable. "J-just get it out, please..!" She begged and grasped the warm, large hand that belonged to her partner.

After an uncomfortable minute of intimate examination, the nurse changed her slightly bloodied gloves for a pair of clean ones. "Okay, there's been a bit of a tear while Baby's made their way down Miss Katherine." Kat looked up towards Dante as she listened to the woman's voice. "I think its safe to say he's well on his way." The nurse chuckled with her colleague to try and make light of the situation, but after what the pair had just been through, it was a rather tough crowd. There was a brief silence before a loud, painful howl escaped Kat and her back arched like a bow, her eyes clamped shut.

Dante wiped the nervous sweat from his forehead and attempted to comfort her as much as he could. Surely it couldn't be much longer now. Mercifully, the midwife retrieved a gas canister of pain relief to offer her some form of physical comfort, to which she gladly took part in. That brought a little more of a quiet atmosphere at least, though Dante was sure most of the time she was just making noise because she simply didn't know what else she could do.

Several painful hours passed and Dante was battling a migraine, brought on by the bright hospital lights and the symphony of painful sounds coming out of Kat's mouth. He caught sight of the hospital staff muttering subtly among themselves, looking quite concerned. Kat had been pushing for around half an hour without much progress, which brought her to tears on at least two occasions. The half-blood grew increasingly worried as Kat grew more and more exhausted with nothing to show for her efforts.

"W-whats wrong...?" Dante demanded answers. All the delivery teams eyes turned to face him as the head midwife was left with the awful job of explaining things to a potentially hostile parent-to-be. "As you probably know sir, Miss Blackmoore's a very petite young woman. Its perfectly normal for first births to be difficult." _Difficult._ For a midwife to say it was difficult worried Dante deeply. "Difficult? I thought all-"

"The baby seems to be too much for her birth canal and pelvic to cope with, it is rather large after all. Miss Katherine is only small herself." Kat whimpered as she heard the less than promising statements. "We're going to have to intervene, we have to ask that you please leave the room." it was almost as if Dante's heart stopped in his chest.

"I'm not leaving, she needs me." He held Kat's hand tight, too many times had he failed to protect and comfort her when she needed it most. He wasn't abandoning her this time.

"Please sir, I know this is difficult for you both." She spoke in a stern tone and stared him in the eye, he had no choice at the mercy of the medical staff. His glance dropped to the floor before he gave Kat a long, loving kiss on the forehead to tell her it was all going to be okay - then being escorted out by a supporting nurse.

All he could do was wait.


End file.
